The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-11-30
HAGGARD'S" SHEaASAP PLAY.
ON TIE STAGE THE WEIRD STORY rs
A FANTASTIC SNOW.
Appeal. to the Eye with Elaborate Scenery.
and 60 the Ear with Appropriate Music
A Popular u Not Artistic fien>ure.

Annfnls to the Eye WIN EinbOrnte FCcuSrys
and 60 the Ear with Appropriate Music
A Popular u Not Artistic Pien'ure.
A careful and costly attempt was made at
Niblo's Garden last evening to turn the text OF
Mr.. II. Rider Haggard's she into entertain
ing sights and sounds. Mr.. william Gillette
had dramatized tho story. Mr.. Ben Teal had
devised scenes, and Mr.. W. w. Furst had COM
posed music; but these experts had labored in
vain to transfer the books peculiar kind Of
weirdness to the play. Mr.. Haggard's narra-
tive derives its interest from his truthful man
ner OF describing the most preposterous con-
ceptions. Tho same things placed on the
stage were not distinguished from the super
naturalism which footlights often shine upon.
But IL was a fine show that was made OF
"She." whether II fully satisfied Mr.. Haggard's
readers or not. Tho Adventures in Africa
were introduced In a shipwreck. with a thun-
derbolt that shivered a mast, a turbulence OF
sea that sunk the vessel. u rise OF vapor that
for a few moments shut of the view. q disper-
sion OF the mist revealing the voyagers' escape
to a rock, and finally a clear sun shining on a
distant desert. There were non-adIusted de-
tails In these changes Of scene. andh rowboat
fioated ON posts clear above the water, but the
effects arrived at were in the main accom-
plished, and the first net contained an abund-
ance Of such material as had made the pros;
perity OF many u melodrama. The crowded
gallery was very noisy over 1t. and the people
the next episode, which was thct of the hot
save one Of themselves from being roasted by
the natives. The songs and dances OF the saw
ages were cna l"se rsiv a b,dt lhei r. g aoHtSa9ns
ludicrous. Thu sudden ,espousal OF Leo
b The African girl; ,reatsd rs 9 ah serious t,1srd in:
maiden, had a narrow escape from ridicule.
but it was generallv accepted as allowable
head OF the chosen victim was accompanied by
rude pantomime and weird music al well man
aged and appropria,tbe i and nnii It ended IN a spI hv
the white men, the curtain falling on u tableau
60 vivid that the people demandea three Ss more more
sn in ct Isl cd t and ah'f ha ss Z S asro %aS 0t iSe
!M4pssl a p A. Eighty Days" with suggestions of
Next came what should have been a depar.
Haggardlsm. The seekers OF She foppn n her;
thrilling, place 70 see. II had little illusion. be-
But ali eyes were fked on the. Yelled .hgure OF
the sorccress. Those who had read Of 1.-THE won.
to- a5P be e 1trnss % by syT the sof ince Of her imPersona.
tor. The revelation was tantaliZingly de-
layed. but it came ut length; or The y nra,ss
m but by no means beautiful, and alto
gether lacking in both imperiousness and Sc
uucllNt cuuTlu. II NV VI hnS
CARDS readers was keen. and for them the do
ings of She-her mysterious strokes OF death
for her disobedient subjects, her exhibition OF
by them very favorably regarded; AS for the
seeming majority, who had no knowledge of
She" except what they Witnessed there, they
apparently took the mysticism for something
that i sIedot to !, be anyd1hinG in Pa wis IL land a3d
that electric flashes. and shifts of scene ex.
pressed. In a mochanica! way, the necroman;
cies of the queen. This third act of " She.
miscarried sadly, in spite Of fair acting. good
music, and ingenuity In scenic tricks,
cave of the moving. pillar. OF fire, whore She
had got her pro!ongation OF youth by bathing
in the terrific flame. Once more those familiar
themselves to be astounded by her transforma.
elled 2,OO0-year-old hug. Here u second shock
G ins air rsGaf4ent mas wss q ex4RE IRE wss a fame, anne r tSai
k Fe'Sas aA'S She $1,000 stood quite out SIS scorchins
at her bac He"1 Behin nd them them s She sG retr re- tssd[e and
out came another actress Of similar size and
costume. but with a face lined with age. This
Then a third appeared, with. the countenancs
of a centenarian. and died in anguish. There
was no dwarfing Of the figure. horrible dessica-
which so strikingly climaxes the novel;
Tho lateness Of the conclusion forbids a con-
side, fhin OF Of t aSh ,s,t as A. a d Gfftn1%ntiE5a ad 1of fur,
respectable Job. The character that found
most favor with the audience was the inter:
pola'ed one OF an American loGuacious' and
BY byd Mr. Ghs SlHsk B BeSstsr' e Tss Sac e xss Miss
was made absurd by Miss Loie Fuller. MI.
p MH11f aie s9S M Maf !. Il +. mMaa aeka q se %e II r sns pS,s
the Holly. Miss Fannie Addison was admira-
bly, savage as Diilvesha. and she also played
She In the last moments of the fire scene.